


Dragonsong

by Nuredhel



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms
Genre: Dragon Fight, Dragons, F/M, Ghuad/Thranduil, M/M, OC, Original Character - Freeform, Seduction, Something goes wrong and the valar intervene, The Hobbit - Freeform, The black arrow isnt there, a what if situation, arrogant character, battle of five armies in a different light, clash of wills, dragonshapeshifter, one dragon makes a hell of a difference, some smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-06-14 04:00:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15380184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuredhel/pseuds/Nuredhel
Summary: Ghuad Blackfire is a proud creature, a servant of the light although his methods can be far from clean. When he suddenly finds himself in an alien world he starts to track some dwarves followed by a wizard for he has to do something right? And they are being hunted by nasty orcs so why shouldnt he help them? The only problem is, his presence has disturbed ancient forces and also history itself. Can he make things right or will everything end with a complete disaster.





	1. Firestorm

**Author's Note:**

> This is a cross over between my own works and the works of Tolkien. Ghuad is also mentioned in the fan fic Underneath alien skies which isnt connected to this one and he is also in some of my original stories on Inkitt, Between fire and ice, Wolf fang Dragons fire, Shanrae and In gratitude.

Chapter one: Firestorm

The pass was a cold place, a place very few people would ever want to visit and yet some did, they didn’t have much of a choice. It was the most important route between the large main valleys of the area and thus merchants and travellers had to brave the cold and the dangerous nature to reach their destination. The mountains were wild and old and the risk of avalanches and rock falls was ever present and yet there was no other way unless you wanted to trek for months through equally dangerous though less steep terrain to the south. Most preferred the high mountains to the mosquito infested swamps with their crocodiles, snakes and unknown stalking horrors. 

The pass had one path, it was worn and very visible even from a great distance and the problem was rarely people getting lost, it was more that people simply froze to death or got killed by falling rocks or simply because they fell off the track. The mountains were steep, and some places the track was barely the width of a man’s hips with a several hundred meter drop on one side and the vertical mountain side on the other. Many had died there, and to the people who lived where the path started it was an everyday event when somebody didn’t return from their trip. They were used to it, and made good money praying for a safe crossing for those bold enough to try. But lately the loss of lives had sky rocketed and the reason wasn’t a natural one at all. Several bad years longer south had forced many desperate souls into less than honest ways of making a living and everybody knew that this to some meant robbing and killing the travellers. 

This night the path was dark, nobody were seen travelling up the steep path and the weather had been terrible for days, a very nasty storm had been raging for a week and the snow lay in thick drifts where the relentless wind couldn’t catch it. At the top of the pass was a stretch of path which was almost horizontal, at least it wasn’t as steep as the rest of this treacherous route and there were some trees and bushes there, even some primitive huts built by the travellers in the summer when they could afford to stay for more than a short hour to rest. By one of the cliffs a slight flickering light could be spotted, it was a very small bonfire and by it sat a huddled figure clad in an old cloak, so full of patches nothing was left of the original fabric. An old mule stood on the other side of the small fire, an animal so old and scrawny it was a miracle it had managed to get this far, the thing was barely able to hold its head up and the pack saddle which lay on the ground was empty say for a half empty sack of wool. The figure coughed and kicked some branches further into the fire, the man was obviously very poor for nothing he had was new or worth more than a copper shilling. 

The remains of a small rabbit lay beside the man and it was gnawed to the bone, how he had managed to catch the poor thing was perhaps a bit of a mystery for there were no weapons to be seen anywhere, neither on the man or his barely alive steed. He coughed again and leaned over, the cloak was barely large enough to cover him and couldn’t provide any warmth at all. The cowl of the worn piece of clothing was deep though and covered the man’s head completely. He had probably been caught there by the storm and had been unable to retreat to lower ground. He leaned forth again and appeared to be leaning as close to the fire as possible, but in truth he was just acting. The cold didn’t bother him at all and he was hiding his face, or more precisely, his eyes. The mule had been bought from a butcher down in the vale and it had been very cheap for there wasn’t any meat on it at all. The cloak and the clothes were also bought not so long ago but they did complete the illusion. He was getting impatient though, he had been there for several days now and it was darn boring, and if he had to wait any longer he would have to kill the mule for the poor beast was soon starving to death. 

He crossed his arms and rested his chin on them as he sat there, crouched like a man who froze. He sighed and allowed himself to relax and opened his senses, he could sense all life within this small valley and he would be ready when they came for they would appear, he was sure of that. There hadn’t been any prey for weeks due to the snow and even a poor man with no apparent wealth would be a temptation in these times. If not for money than at least for sports. He had heard the tales told by the people living in the valleys, of the mutilated corpses found thrown away like garbage. That the dead could be rather mangled by the forces of nature was just natural, but these dead showed every sign of having been tortured. And so he decided to take action, after all, that was what he did. He had been looking forward to a good challenge and now he was seriously bored, and in a bad mood. That didn’t bode well for the robbers, when and if they did show up. He scoffed and pulled the cloak even tighter around himself, the rabbit had been bought from a farmer and brought along, just to make him look more natural and the mule was also needed. If he was to pretend to be a travelling merchant then a pack animal was needed, nobody travelled carrying all their stuff themselves. 

He was dozing, almost in a state of reverie when his senses woke him up rather abruptly, his nose had picked up something, something out of the ordinary. A scent which didn’t belong there, wet fur, leather, sweat. He grinned, a very satisfied and not at all very pleasant grin before he went back to pretending to be asleep. His body was preparing for battle, he was ready for an exhilarating fight and he didn’t move at all even though he knew he was being watched. The game was on, would they bother with him or would they let him be? He could understand that poverty and hunger forced some to steal to survive, it wasn’t acceptable of course but he could see the reasons. Killing to steal on the other hand, now that came into an entirely different category and he would intervene without feeling any remorse at all. Not that he did anyhow but rules are there to be followed. 

He sniffed, the scents were stronger now, more separate. Six persons? No, seven, two of the scents were so similar they had to belong to brothers, he smiled again. Seven, that was a challenge. He did have a sword, hidden underneath himself but it wasn’t a very good one, he preferred to travel unarmed for it seemed as if the sight of a sword did trigger some odd instincts within humans. Some automatically believed him to be a bad person for carrying one and others, always males, would try to pick a fight, probably to determine who was the strongest and most dominant one. It was just so incredibly stupid but the truth was that he didn’t need any weapons to do his job and do it well. He could hear them now, they came with the wind against them so no sounds could be heard and they were circling the small camp site very slowly. These men knew what they were doing but they didn’t know who they were up against this time. He already knew that they would attack, if they wasn’t they wouldn’t have gotten this close and he saw that the mule was laying its ears flat back, it sensed danger. 

He loved this, the thrill of it, the excitement and the promise of a fight, of testing his skills. His bad mood had gone with the wind and he did feel the hilt of the sword underneath his thigh and reached down very slowly and felt the steel against his fingertips. He was ready.   
The first contact was an unusual one, a huge ball of snow was tossed onto the fire and put it out and he jerked and pretended to be rudely awakened, to be confused and dazed like a normal mortal would be. A huge man wearing a bear pelt over his shoulders did appear out of the dark, carrying a long spear which to the traveller did look rather well made. “So, what have we here lads, a pauper trying to cross our territory? Not without paying the toll he won’t!”

The traveller pretended to shrink as he held his gloved hands up, apparently pleading. “Please, I have no money, only my old mule and some wool” 

The man squinted, there was something strange there but he couldn’t put his finger on it at all, did he smell sulphur? “No money ha? Well then you can provide us with some entertainment, things have been quiet for too long now!”

Six more men did appear from behind the trees, all wearing good clothes and wielding very good weapons, a normal traveller wouldn’t stand a chance at all. They were obviously rather full of themselves for they grinned and didn’t really expect any problems at all, one man was not even a proper challenge. “Get up!”

The leader did make a gesture with the spear and the traveller did nod, still with the cowl pulled forth, leaving his face in shadow. He got his feet under him and let the cloak slide down from his body as he slowly, very slowly, rose to his full height. The men gaped, the person ahead of them was no mere wanderer, he was taller than all of them, close to seven feet or even a couple of inches over that and he was no human. One look at the inhumanly beautiful face told them that and it should have warned them that this was a fight they perhaps should back away from. But unfortunately their leader was rather full of self-confidence, they had subdued large groups before, even an elf, which this had to be, couldn’t be that hard to bring down. “Awwh look at that lads, such a pretty boy! I bet his arse is nice and tight ha? Get him down on his knees, teach him some manners!”

The six men did rush forth, eager to follow their leaders orders, the overly tall male was indeed beautiful, more so than most women and they had been starved for anyone to play with for quite a while. When the leader was done it would be their turn and this was after all just one person. Even if he did put up a fight he could do only so much, they were sure to have some good ol fun soon. They only kept that thought for a few seconds as the tall stranger did drop to his knees, pulling a sword out from underneath the cloak. Now he was low, close to the ground and he did spin forth like a top, underneath the spear their leader was carrying. The leader tried to back away but it was too late, a spear like that is no weapon for close combat and the stranger did get up again and at the same time he did cut the leader open from his pelvis to his breastbone. The man shrieked and stared down at the ghastly wound where his entrails were starting to fall out and the stranger let out a terrifying snarl and ended it by simply ripping the man’s throat out so blood sprayed onto the snow like a geyser. 

The leader fell and the six others hesitated for a second, shocked by the sudden and very violent actions and the sheer brutality of it all. That was all the stranger needed, he moved so fast he became a blur, the old sword was sharp and he did cut the two next men in half at the waist like they were made from butter. Then he did parry a desperate counter attack with the ease of a skilled swordsman and beheaded one man with a very nonchalant move. The three remaining men had realized that they had come face to face with a terrible opponent and they were in fact very brave for they attacked as one. Normally that would be very smart, but this stranger was way better than them in every way and he just spun out of reach and cut off the sword arm of two of them. The men fell screaming, clutching the blood spurting stumps left of their right arms and he did pierce the heart of the last man remaining before he did finish the two off with an elegant swing of the sword. A clean beheading was way better than what they truly deserved but he didn’t like to waste time after all.   
He stared at the corpses and spat at the one of the leader. “You can tell the devil Ghuad Blackfire sends his regards!!”

He picked up their weapons, they were nice and were probably worth a bit and he knew that the men had to have a hideaway somewhere there. He did follow their tracks, it was no problem for him and after half an hour he did find a cave. It wasn’t guarded and rather large, separated into several rooms. One held some horses and hay and the next ones were living areas with beds and a sort of kitchen. The inner chambers did contain the stuff they had stolen and it wasn’t a small treasure, he had barely seen a larger hoard ever. He grunted and made a grimace, gold and jewels meant nothing to him, he wasn’t one of those who would gather riches and lay there and rot on top of it, no way. You cannot eat gold and it gives no warmth nor joy. He didn’t take anything at all, the villagers would find the cavern come summer and they would need this, the area was poor. He did release the horses though and sent them on their way towards the valleys, if they stayed there they would starve. He felt tempted at keeping one but horses didn’t like him so he had to keep the old mule yet for a while. He did go and get it though and let the poor thing eat some hay and oats. It needed that, and he did need a good rest, a real one. 

The beds there weren’t large but he did gather some pelts and made a bed for himself on the floor and after having downed a couple of bottles of wine he found in the hoard he allowed himself to fall asleep, he needed that now. The travellers would be safe again and that was what was important to him, he felt content. He curled up in the furs and allowed himself to drift off into dreamland. 

What woke him up was an alien scent, one of forest and living things, which wasn’t normal this high in the mountains at this time of the year. He yawned and frowned, blinked. He was laying in the furs but the cave wasn’t there, instead he lay on a small open clearing within a rather dark forest and the mule stood next to him, shivering all over. He got up, confused and a wee bit shocked, what in heck’s name had just happened? The scents were wrong, the light was very wrong and he felt dizzy and also a bit nauseous, as if he was suffering from a real hangover. He blinked and gathered the furs, tied them together and hung them onto the mule, where was he? It was obviously not the mountains and it was almost dark and he didn’t recognize the stars he did see overhead. For a moment he felt lost, he could sense magic at work there and he didn’t like that at all. He had never had any trust in magic, neither it’s wielders. He tried to determine what to do when he heard the call of a bird of prey, he looked up and saw the silhouette of a huge eagle, pitch black and way larger than a normal bird. A sense of awe did rush through him, so it was the will of the Goddess? Then be it, he was after all her loyal servant and the eagle was most dear to him, the mighty bird was carrying the soul of the one innocent person who had managed to free him from ages of slavery and agony.   
He patted the old mule on its neck. “Alright old heap of dust, we are obviously in some strange realm but if it is her will I will follow it, as always.” 

He did take the reins and started to walk, in the direction the eagle had shown him, the terrain was rather rocky and not at all very easy to traverse but his long legs was an advantage here. He wondered if he perhaps should shift to his real shape but decided against it, something told him that his true nature had to be kept hidden for as long as possible. He kept walking through the night and when the morning light came crawling over the hilltops he saw a wood in the distance and way behind that what appeared to be a single mountain, reaching towards the skies like a majestic spire. He cocked his head. “I think that may be our destination, what do you think?” 

The mule didn’t answer, it just snorted and he walked on, he hadn’t seen anyone there and he started to think that this was an uninhabited realm when he caught a scent he immediately recognized. It was orcs, he hated that smell with an infernal ferocity and he snarled and his eyes did get more narrow and they started to glow. He hesitated, unsure of whether or not he should advance and that was when a huge figure came rushing through the bushes and collided with the mule. He didn’t have time to react before the ghastly looking canine bit into the mule’s neck and snapped it and he was stunned by the sheer ugliness of the beast. Then he acted, he felt rage rising within for the mule had been a gentle old one and he hadn’t wanted it to meet such an ugly end. He jabbed the sword straight through the beast’s nasty face and into the brain, the blade snapped from the force of the impact but the monster was dead for sure. He growled and sniffed. There were orcs nearby and he stared at the dead mule, alright, he didn’t need it and he was getting curious. The goddess wouldn’t have sent him to this world without a meaning behind it, there had to be something he was supposed to do. 

He heard sounds and swift as a cat he did enter a tree and hid in the canopy, he knew how to blend into his surroundings and before long the most grotesque looking orcs he had ever seen showed up. They were chatting excitedly in a very ugly language of which he didn’t understand much, but he did realize that they were looking for something or someone. He stared down at the orcs, he could kill them without breaking a sweat but then he would have to hide the bodies and he didn’t want to be bothered with it at all. And he was curious, who or what were these beasts after? Could this be the reason he had been sent to this place, wherever it was? The orcs did scamper through the undergrowth with the elegance of a drunk hippo and even an imbecile could have tracked them, right, they were confident, used to being in control and not afraid of anything or anyone. Good, pride comes before the fall. They wouldn’t suspect that they too would be hunted and he bared his teeth and decided to see what this all was about. 

The orcs did disappear and he got down from the tree, without the mule he could move more freely and he did run through the canopies, an art form he had learned from wood elves. The orcs were heading downhill and he did smell more of them now. It was a pack, quite large and it was very clear that they did look for someone. He stopped and did notice that two of the orcs did stand out among the others. They were huge and muscular and one of them had lots of metal pieces added to his body as a sort of integrated armour. It did look grotesque and he shook himself, the urge to shift and vaporize them almost overwhelming but he couldn’t do that before he knew what he was truly facing. The other one was so pale and had one arm replaced with some sort of primitive prosthetic limb, it did look rather crude but it was a weapon for sure. Both rode such terrible canine monsters and Ghuad saw that the pale one had a beast just as white as himself, he had to be a leader of some sorts and Ghuad could almost smell that orc’s malice and evil. 

Scouts were sent out and Ghuad did pity whoever it was they were chasing, he was rather sure that his task was to save whoever this was. The valley was almost a gorge at this place, with very steep sides and the orcs did scurry around, but there was some sort of organized will behind it still and they were heading for higher ground. There was a sort of ledge up there, ending with a steep drop and the orcs seemed to be heading that way. He frowned, the area was very beautiful but it had a very dramatic nature and why were the orcs heading up to the ledge? There was no way out of there except the same way they used when they entered, and Ghuad couldn’t quite understand what they were after until he saw something moving up ahead. There were tiny figures on the ledge and they didn’t know the orcs were closing inn, he swore and climbed into a tall fir, trying to see who or what this was. His eyes were incredibly sharp and he could see even in the darkness. He saw several shorter figures and one taller one and he felt a strange urge to help them. They had to be dwarves and he liked that race, he had even helped several tribes reclaim their hidden cities from orcs and he did respect them a lot. They were stubborn and foolhardy and always too proud of their history but they were honest as well and brave and didn’t back down no matter what you threw at them. 

The tall figure had to be a human being, and what was a human doing with a bunch of dwarves? Well, this was an alien world, there could be a reason for it, humans and dwarves could interact a lot for all he knew although it wasn’t that normal where he came from. Dwarves were secretive people and why on earth would they allow strangers to travel with them? He squinted, the orcs were about to reach the dwarves and he hissed and wished that he could do something, anything really!

Then the orcs did attack and he saw that tall pale one and suddenly fire blazed between the firs. Finally something he could influence, he reached out and felt the flames, fed their hunger and fury with as much as he could and the fire became a mighty blaze much faster than it should have. He suddenly felt something brushing against his very soul, a presence which tried to find him and figure him out and he shut himself off immediately. So, the tall human was a wizard or something like that? He didn’t like wizards at all, they did meddle way too much and he didn’t trust magic. But they were still trapped up there and he saw that one of the dwarves did approach the pale orc, with great courage but to no prevail. He was sure that the brave dwarf would be killed when another small figure charged at the orcs and he was stunned by the desperate bravery this required. Still the dwarves would be slaughtered for the trees started to fall and he prepared to shift when he felt the air move and above him mighty wings was carried on the wind towards the ledge. He saw several eagles, enormous birds who started snatching the dwarves out of the trees, catching as they fell and throwing orcs and their nasty steeds into the empty air. He breathed a sigh of relief, he didn’t have to reveal himself then, not yet anyhow. But he had already guessed that the pale orc was after these dwarves for a particular reason, and he got more and more curious. 

The eagles did carry them away and he hurried down the slope and decided to follow them, he could run very fast and he could also try to make things a wee bit less pleasant for the orcs. Yes, he was looking forward to decimating their numbers,, orcs were always stupid and overly brave and he did bet that this was true even here. He did see that the surviving orcs did hurry downhill just as he had and they too were following the eagles and he felt a thrill running down his spine, finally a real challenge. He knew how to hide even in broad daylight and he hadn’t had real fun for a long time. Like a cat he laid in wait, eagerly awaiting his prey. 

The orcs were hurrying down the valley, following the eagles and the dwarves they had carried and their leader was furious, he had already killed a couple of soldiers just for getting in his way and he was almost fuming with rage. The piece of filth had managed to escape, by the help of those damned birds. He just hoped that they had managed to injure Thorin enough for the dwarf to die but he didn’t trust that at all, dwarves were so goddamn tough. The small creature and surprised him though, he didn’t even know what that had been but it had been no dwarf. Seemingly fragile and so tiny and yet filled with a shocking courage, like a mouse standing up to a snake. He was pushing his warriors hard now, not all had wargs to ride and they ran as fast as they could. They had to catch up with the dwarves, they shouldn’t be allowed to reach Erebor, that would be a disaster. He knew of the dark one’s plans, the dragon and the mountain would be a stronghold, able to squeeze the free lands between itself and Mordor, a stronghold which would bring them victory. 

The eagles were swift and flew straight and the orcs had to cross some pretty haggard terrain to reach wherever it was they landed and it was inevitable that they got separated. Some members of the pack was more zealous than the others and tried to find better routes and some were just slow and didn’t manage to keep up with the rest. Azog didn’t think about them at all, they would catch up eventually or die and all he did focus upon was the goal. 

Ghuad was moving with the stealth of a great cat, and his strength was immense, he had no problems disposing of a few orcs and they usually didn’t even notice that he was there before they were dead. He didn’t have time to play now, nor did he have the urge to. He wanted these orcs gone, simply as that. The fewer left, the fewer to bother the dwarves and he did sniff his way to the groups like a bloodhound, dead set upon making as many of the orcs disappear as possible. When the day started to go darker he did see a huge cliff up ahead and it was probably manipulated by someone to look a bit like the head of a great bear. He cocked his head and admired the view, but he did see that the dwarves had been there. There were tracks there and he know knew beyond any doubt that they were heading towards that single mountain up in the distance. But the great wood was between them and he was also sure he saw open water out there far away, so it was no easy journey in any manner. 

He scoffed and shook himself, he was getting hungry and that meant he had to find something to eat, he could go for days and even weeks without food but the small rabbit he had eaten while waiting in that pass was not nearly enough for him. He was a bit uncertain of what to do though, instinct told him to keep up with the dwarves and possibly make contact too but he knew he would lose his strength if he didn’t eat. He had already disposed of many orcs and the pack was decimated and soon they ought to realize this fact but it was hard for orcs to really count their own numbers since they were extremely selfish creatures. As long as the individual was okay they didn’t bother with missing brethren at all. He ran off in search of meat and after a while he managed to catch and kill a small deer. He didn’t need the entire animal while in this body, he just needed some meat and so he tore the animal open and ate the heart and liver and kidneys, the most nutritious parts. He left the rest for the natural predators and nature itself and it felt good being fed again. He waited for a while to let the food sink and then he ran again, following the trail of the dwarfs. 

As the dwarves trekked through the woods after having climbed down from the cliff they felt rather optimistic, they had seen the lonely mountain and they had escaped from the orcs and they were pretty sure that the rest of the journey would be an easy one. Gandalf on the other hand didn’t feel that confident at all, he had a strange sensation bothering him, a feeling of something he almost but not quite seemed to remember. It had to be something he had once heard or read but he couldn’t quite remember what it was. There had been an odd presence there as they fought the orcs, and the fire he had ignited with the burning pine cones had been so wild, and almost hungry, as if it truly yearned to devour the flesh of the enemy. He had never felt anything like it before, and he had a strong suspicion that it wasn’t a coincidence at all. As they walked as fast as they could towards their goal he tried to reach out with his sensitive mind to try and seek for any use of magic nearby but he felt none, and it was odd. There had been some sort of magic at play, or else they could call him an old donkey. 

He did hide his worries though, he had more pressing things on his mind. He had no idea of how Bilbo had managed to escape from the roots of the mountain, and how come they hadn’t been able to see him until he suddenly was there, like he had sprouted out of the ground. Hobbits were Yavanna’s children but he did highly doubt that they were able to grow out of the ground like flowers. The good thing was that Thorin now did accept Bilbo as a member of the team and that was of course a good thing but Gandalf didn’t like the fact that the orcs now were chasing them, at all! They had believed that Azog and his offspring Bolg were dead but no, no such luck. The huge Gundabad orc had survived and Gandalf wasn’t really that surprised, the orcs bred in that old fortress were especially vicious and also stronger than normal in almost every manner, they could survive things which would kill other creatures immediately. No, he didn’t underestimate that creep of an orc and his involvement in this told Gandalf that there were greater forces moving than he had previously believed. It all seemed to point towards Angmar and also Dol Guldur and he was rather sure now that the so called necromancer was something way worse than a human sorcerer of little or no real power. He had a strong feeling that he would have to visit the old fortress, sooner or later and he wasn’t looking forwards to it at all. As they ran through the woods he just hoped that they would be able to escape the dangers of this area, for they were many and included things which not even the orcs could hope to fight off. 

Ghuad had been following the dwarves from a good distance and he was glad that they all seemed to be alright. These were tough ones for sure and he was quite sure that their reason for travelling thus was a very good one for sure. They seemed so determined and he was sad that he hadn’t been able to get close enough to listen to their conversations. He wasn’t sure he would understand the language though, and if there was a true wizard among them Ghuad was afraid he would be discovered. The presence of a dragon like himself could alert even a novice that something was off. Unfortunately the orcs did move fast and even if he had killed many there was still a huge pack left and they were as determined as bloodhounds, or so it seemed. It had to be something personal behind it all, he couldn’t understand it otherwise. If this world was like his own that was no great surprise for dwarves and orcs just didn’t mingle at all, it was like trying to mix red hot iron and water, it would hiss and explode.

It was night time again when he did catch an new scent in the air, at first he believed it to be a bear, then he sensed that the scent was a bit different from what he normally would expect from such a creature and he did notice that the orcs had slowed down, as if they feared something. Ghuad knew how to hide, and he did and before long he did notice a huge creature which roamed the ragged ridges and he knew that this area had a protector and one which didn’t approve of any strangers. So he kept hidden even when the small male obviously saw the bear and warned the others of it. He had a strong feeling that the bear was a terrible opponent, one even he would think twice about challenging and also, it wasn’t a creature of evil. It was natural, but it was not fond of orcs for sure for the orcs did act as if they were nervous, all except the pale one of course. That beast didn’t act as if it was afraid of anything at all. 

The dwarves were hurrying and he did see that they were heading out into a huge meadow where a sort of building was erected, surrounded by a tall wall and around it was pastures with grazing animals. It did look like a peaceful place and as he made his way through the canopies he saw that they ran for their lives with that huge bear hot at their heels. Luckily they managed to get inside just in the nick of time and he did draw a huge sigh of relief, they were safe for a while. But he was curious about the bear and he was even more curious about the relationship between the bear and the orcs. He waited in a tree for a while and when he saw a tall naked man stumble out of the woods heading for the farm house he already knew the truth, he could smell it. The man was the bear, it was a skin changer like himself and he felt a deep urge to show himself, he rarely came across other creatures which shared his nature. But he waited, the orcs had stopped too and as he got closer he did see that the pale one was gone, the rest was just ordinary foot soldiers and they were obviously nervous. Ghuad did dispose of a few of them just for fun before he yet again hid himself, he wanted to find out what these dwarves were after for it did most certainly have something to do with that mountain. Could it be a dwarven city? He did find that idea very believable, and he had noticed that the dwarves did obey the rather tall darkhaired one as if it was his right to command. Dwarves have a rather strict hierarchy and this made him believe that the dark haired one was someone of importance, perhaps even a person of royal blood. Well, he would try to make sure that the dwarves got to their mountain, he felt that it was the right thing to do. 

The old fortress of Dol Guldur had once been an elven fortress, built by the first king of the Silvan elves, a former Doriathrin noble known as Oropher. It had been abandoned because he didn’t like the influence of his nephew’s noldorin wife Galadriel and now it had fallen into disrepair and it was far from the lovely place it once had been. Now it was a mere ruin but it wasn’t uninhabited, that was just an illusion. Orcs and other fouler creatures were wallowing within its bowels and over it hung a presence which could make the hairs stand up on the neck of just about anyone. The necromancer had taken over this hill and turned it into a terrible place which bled its darkness and malice into the very woods which surrounded it. The elves did shun the area and with good reason, it had become a cesspit of wickedness and evil. The necromancer wasn’t human, he was ancient, an evil long believed to have been banished but his strength was growing steadily and he was preparing to take back what was his, with any means needed. The orcs were of course his loyal servants and he had made sure that many were being bred in the depths of this fortress, and the old one in Angmar. 

Yet he knew that he couldn’t afford taking any chances, he had learned how fragile the balance between victory and defeat is and right now it was of the outmost importance that the dwarves were stopped before they could disturb his plans. The dragon was the key, if he could control that old piece of slumbering wrath he would have a terrible weapon on his hands, one which could secure his victory. But dragons are such sly and proud creatures and he wasn’t sure he could control it, after all, his power was greatly diminished now, far from what it had once been. He did remember this dragon though, from ages ago. It had been the runt of the litter, a weakling he had almost ordered fed to the others. But he had hesitated since dragons after all were rare and now he was glad he had, there was just one left and he couldn’t afford to waste it. A dragon was the ultimate weapon now, nobody really knew how to bring one down anymore and the weapons needed were forgotten.   
He would crush the kingdoms of men and elves and reclaim the title as lord of this world, his opponents were scattered and few but he didn’t underestimate their strength anymore. He had seen what men and elves and dwarves could accomplish when they worked together and he didn’t want another failure. No, a swift and devastating attack was what he needed, one which came without warning, like lightening from above. So he did wisely distribute his warriors over a huge area, he didn’t allow himself to fall prey to his own pride. Once he had ruled kingdoms and brought them to their knees, now he was bound to a goddamn elven fortress and his strength was nothing compared with what it had once been. He couldn’t even assume a corporeal form anymore which was a great pity for the race of men were of such short memory and he just knew he could have corrupted them very easily. They were weak creatures, so easy to seduce and control and he was enjoying the idea of once again becoming the one with the control of everything around him. 

He was gathering his troops, giving orders to the orcs he had determined worthy of the title of officer and he was in particular proud of Azog, the huge pale orc did boil with an unholy hatred towards the dwarves and he did put his faith in the wickedness of this impressive warrior. He would destroy the dwarves for sure, and he was also smart, a very rare ability among orcs. He didn’t put that much trust in Azog’s son though, he wasn’t as intelligent as his sire and more prone to senseless violence but he too was promising. Yes, he was sure he would win this time, armies were ready to strike, there would be nobody there to stand in his way and soon he would retake what was once his. He sought out towards the mountain and felt the dragon deep within its bowels, slumbering on its gold. He was a bit confused as to why the dragons had such a thirst for gold, it was after all worthless since it was useless as anything but ornamentation but who cared really, he would make sure that the dragon delivered the final blow when the time came and he was looking forwards to it. That was when he for a fleeting second felt something new, a strange sensation which made him recoil and hiss.

He had come into contact with something burning hot and yet terribly cold, something with immense power and it had felt dark, and ancient and ruthless, just like himself. For a moment he felt a thin shivering hope that this was some remnant of his lost master, then he pushed that idea away. This was something unfamiliar, something not off this world. He felt a surge of confusion and fear, whatever it was, he couldn’t allow it to intervene with his plans. He had to find out what it was and if possible use it for his purposes. And if that wasn’t possible he would order it destroyed, his orcs would most certainly take care of that job. Yet a strong curiosity still stayed within him, what in the name of everything dark and unholy had it been? Somehow he had to find out, this could be a game changer and he didn’t like surprises like that, no, he didn’t like them at all!


	2. Woodland realm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghuad is following the dwarves and meets the elves of greenwood, and their both arrogant and very attractive king....sparks fly.

Dragonsong ch 2: Woodland realm

Ghuad was still hiding in the trees, he had seen that the orcs were waiting now, and he did pick them off, one by one. Not too many too often or even they would recognize the fact that something was stalking them but slowly and steadily. The dwarves and the wizard were still in the shapeshifter’s hut and Ghuad knew that they were safe there. But the shapeshifter didn’t appear to be too fond of dwarves for he did see that the wizard was a bit reluctant to introduce them to their host. It made him chuckle, he had known many dwarves in his time and even though they had their flaws like everybody else they did know how to behave when they visited someone. They weren’t goblins or orcs for sure. He had once helped liberate a dwarf city from orcs and the mess they had left, by the Goddess, it had taken years just to clean out the filth. 

Finally the dwarves did move on, they had been given horses by the shapeshifter so he couldn’t be completely against the dwarves after all, perhaps the wizard had persuaded him. Ghuad just knew that the dwarves were on some important mission, the presence of that seemingly old man did tell him that for sure. But it was a strange realm he had ended up in, there was something there which just wasn’t right. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it was like a pollution you cannot see, a sort of foulness he could barely sense and yet it was ever present and he didn’t like it at all. There was evil there, it was old and wicked and patient too and he couldn’t help but feeling that he would have to face it, one way or the other. The dwarves did ride towards the forest and he kept following them, as stealthy as possible. 

The forest ahead was vast, and dense and he felt something odd coming from it, he was almost tempted at warning the dwarves against entering for it wasn’t good, whatever it was. Ghuad was immune to most types of magic and this felt filthy somehow, like the sticky stuff which can be found on top of stagnant water. The wizard left them, it was obvious that he had received some sort of message or news and he took off, Ghuad wasn’t too pleased. He would never have just wandered off and left a group of dwarves like that, magic and dwarves didn’t mingle very well. But they did walk straight into the thicket and Ghuad had to admit that yes, they were brave, stupidly so. That forest did stink of a trap and he did roll his eyes as he did enter too. 

It wasn’t long before he did notice a clear elven influence there, the dwarves did follow a path which was elven made and he had spotted some statues at the beginning which were of elven origin. He found it odd that elves would allow any dark presence within their realms but he didn’t know what it was of yet so who was he to blame them. He did keep his distance and kept following the dwarves and they were doing alright to begin with. They followed the path and were clearly very determined and he knew that they were heading towards the lake and the mountain. Then they veered off, somewhere they lost the path and Ghuad could feel why, the magic which rested there had confused them, made them see things which weren’t even real and he felt that it tried to influence him as well, to no prevail. Such deviltry didn’t work on his kind and he did contemplate revealing himself but decided against it. He just kept track of them and hoped that they would find the path once more and not succumb to something nasty. 

There was little water there, probably nothing to eat unless you wanted a severe case of food poisoning and the forest was so goddamn dark. He had never encountered anything like it. They did cross the one river they found and it was obviously magical in nature, he just jumped over it within the canopy but the dwarves had to carry one of their own over and even the small fellow who wasn’t a dwarf did seem confused and dazed. There was something odd about that guy, Ghuad felt it, Or rather, it wasn’t the guy himself but something he had in his possession. Ghuad felt a tinge of the same darkness he could feel outside of the forest and he wasn’t so sure if he liked it. The small fellah did look like a decent person, whatever he was, and Ghuad hated to see good people being ruined by things they couldn’t control. 

The small guy did climb the trees every now and then to find the way and it was smart, Ghuad did hide then, he didn’t want to be seen for he felt that these people ought to find their way on their own, why he didn’t know. He just felt that it wasn’t his place to intervene, at least not yet. Then the spiders did strike, he had felt an animal presence there too but thought nothing of it until he did sense their minds. And he felt absolutely horrified, these weren’t the normal spiders he was used to, these were humongous and horrible and clearly the spawn of something ancient and evil. The webs had disturbed him but where there are trees there are bound to be wildlife and he hadn’t suspected intelligent and evil minded monsters. The beasts did round up the dwarves with lightning speed and only the small fellah did escape. Ghuad was about to attack when the guy seemingly put on a ring and went transparent. Well, at least to Ghuad he was transparent, to the spiders he was invisible and he did free his friends but Ghuad did notice that the tiny one was more than a little obsessed by the ring. It did intrigue him a bit, but it did also make him slightly worried. 

The dwarves did gather and then Ghuad did sense something new approaching, elves this time. He did hide and saw that the dwarves were arrested and searched and he had to smirk. The young blonde one was like a wandering armoury and he did see that the little fellah was invisible still. He seemed to prefer not to be seen. Ghuad was impressed by the skills of the elven warriors, it was clear that they had fought these huge arachnids before and he wondered how they had learned those skills, if it had been something which had come over time, born out of necessity. He was in a tree watching how the dwarves were being dragged off when he did notice that all the spiders weren’t dead, a particularly large and nasty looking one was creeping forwards, unusually silently and with a clear aim. It was heading for the leader of the elves, a tall blonde fellow with a very majestic look and Ghuad did take a deep breath. The elf was too busy with the dwarves to notice and neither did the others. 

Ghuad couldn’t just sit there and watch as the ghastly thing attacked the elf so he did toss a piece of dead wood at the spider. It made the thing stop and hiss and the elf did spin around, drawing his bow and releasing an arrow within the blink of an eye. The spider fell with a thud, the arrow had pierced its head to the feathers and then the elf did draw a new arrow and aimed it at the tree where Ghuad was hiding. Damn it, the elves were really smart, and their hearing very good. “Reveal yourself, or I will shoot!”

The dwarves were already taken away and Ghuad did take a deep breath and did jump down from the tree, he didn’t fear the elves and he could get away if he wanted to but he wanted to know more. Why in heck’s name did elves allow such foul creatures to pollute their woods? The elves who were left there did back away, staring in shock at the stranger who had seemingly fallen out of the trees. He was taller than them all and did look like an elf but not of any race they knew. 

Arrows were pointing at him and he did smile, held his hands high. One of the warriors did get closer to him, very nervously and started to frisk him, all the warrior found was a long knife and his rather worn dagger. The tall blonde did cock his head, eyes narrow and suspicion written all over his face. “Who are you and what are you doing in our woods?” 

Ghuad did bow his head, no reason to be impolite now was there? “I am Ghuad, and the reason why I am here? Curiosity I guess, I saw some dwarves and wondered what they were up to” 

The blond did stare at him. The stranger was extremely impressive to look at, wide across the shoulders, a stunningly beautiful face which was very masculine and he appeared to be both toned and elegant at the same time. “That doesn’t answer my question at all, you are an elf, of which realm?” 

Ghuad snickered to himself.” A little here and a little there and sometimes elsewhere” 

The redheaded female who had fought like a she devil did whisper to the blond. “Legolas, I don’t trust this elf, he could be a spy sent by the enemy” 

So the blonde was Legolas? Good to know. Ghuad did bow his head again to the female. “And I wish I was from here for a realm with such excellent fighters is rare” 

The female did blush for a second, then her face became cool again. Ghuad saw that she stared at his eyes, those were the one thing he couldn’t completely disguise, the golden red colour was after all very unusual among all races. The blond did hiss. “Tie him up, I bet the king will make him talk” 

So this place had a king? Interesting, this could become more of a challenge than he had first guessed but why not, he was there for a reason, that was the only thing he could be sure of. The warriors did tie his wrists together with strong rope but he could of course break those bonds very easily. He was even blindfolded but he didn’t need his eyes to notice the terrain around him and they did walk for quite a while. He did smell water after a while and they did cross a bridge and then he heard heavy doors be closed behind him. The place did smell of a inhabited area, there was a draft in the air and yet he could smell cave. An underground palace? Impressive, that would probably be a place easy to protect. There were elves around him, he could smell them and he did smell that the dwarves had been there too, just minutes ago, he was not allowed to move forth at all and had to stay there. There were people running around in all directions and then he was taken forth along winding pathways. 

He did hear waterfalls and the air was moist and fresh, sunlight did hit his skin here and there and he got the impression of this being a massive structure. He was held back and waited patiently. He heard something in the distance and his ears were extremely good, even better than those of an elf. He heard voices, one very dark and rough and one equally dark but more suave, and smooth. It was an argument for sure and he did turn his full attention to it. What he did hear shocked him, the dwarves were out to reclaim their old home? Lost to a dragon?! Oh by every God he knew off, if they didn’t have some sort of hidden weapon they were bound to become toast. Unless the dragons of this realm were tiny lizards that was. 

The elven king did offer them help, which was of course a nice thing to do but the answer did shock Ghuad, the dwarf wasn’t very polite and he was clearly filled with bitterness and anger due to previous happenings. The elf wasn’t very suave anymore, the voice spoke of anger too and Ghuad heard what the dwarf said in his own language and had to control himself so he didn’t reveal that he did speak the dwarfish language. It had been both rude and nasty and the dwarf was dragged off, he could hear him swear rather vigorously. So there was an old grudge there, the elf had obviously tried to put it aside to gain something of his and the dwarf had turned the offer down, was the dwarf daft? 

Well, even an elven army would stand little chance against a dragon and Ghuad did pity the dwarves, to have lost their city to a gold hungry dragon was a nightmare. But there had to be a plan behind it all, unless they were planning on committing a very grand suicide.   
Then the guards did pull off the blindfold and Ghuad blinked and had to admit that he was impressed, the place was gorgeous and very elven in design. It was an age old palace for sure and he could see that it had been a natural cave the elves just had shaped a little to fit their needs. The blonde was poking him in the back with a blade. “Go, the king wants to see you now” 

Ghuad did obey, he walked along the narrow bridge and saw the throne room. It was dominated by a huge throne with giant antlers on it and Ghuad raised an eyebrow. The elf who sat on the throne was impressive, and also drop dead gorgeous. Ghuad wasn’t blind to beauty, and he did enjoy both male and female attention equally. The blond warrior did bow his head. “Aran nin, this male calls himself Ghuad and he did follow the dwarves” 

The king did stand up and walked down the stairs with an almost feline grace, the face was angelic but the blue eyes were sharp and hard and very intelligent. Ghuad realized that this was a worthy opponent. The idea did excite him. He cocked his head and did notice that the king was a few inches shorter than him. The silvery blonde was probably the tallest among his own people but Ghuad was taller still and he did stand there in a relaxed position. The king did stare at him, assessing him in a very calculated manner. “Are you a noldo?” 

The question was sharp and Ghuad did understand that being a noldo was a bad thing. He shook his head. The king did walk around him, slowly, he did even reach out and touched a lock of Ghuad’s hair. It was at hip length and some had escaped the braid he kept it inn normally. The deep blackish red colour was rare and Ghuad was proud of his hair, it was silky and smooth and he did take well care off it. The king did turn to the guards. “What weapons did he bring?” 

The warriors did hand over Ghuad’s knife and dagger and the king stared at them. “Not much to fight with, only a madman enters this wood armed so poorly” 

Ghuad shrugged. “Define poorly” 

The king frowned, he did stare at the tall stranger and saw the relaxed attitude and the self-confidence. “So, you do not need weapons then, a wizard? A minion of the dark enemy?” 

Ghuad shrugged again. “No, and no. I have no idea of what enemy you speak of” 

He did hold his voice neutral and the tall elf did tilt his head, staring at the stranger again, very intently. “No, no tool of Sauron, you feel…different. “ 

Ghuad smirked. “Yes, I am very different”

The king did look as if he was intrigued, he was touching Ghuad’s clothing which was a bit different than what had to be regular in this realm and he did take a closer look at the dagger and the knife. “Forged by methods I haven’t seen before, and the fabric of your tunic is unfamiliar too. “ 

Ghuad nodded. “If you say so” 

The king hissed. “You are not a very talkative one now are you?” 

Ghuad just grinned. “No, I prefer to use my mouth for other things” 

The king did tense up for a quick second but he continued his slow wandering. “You followed the dwarves, why?” 

Ghuad shrugged and made a grimace. “I was wondering where they were heading, that is all. I have dealt with dwarves before and they avoid deep woods if they can” 

The king turned around on his heel. “So, did you perhaps wish to see if there was something to gain from this?” 

Ghuad raised an eyebrow in a clear challenge. “What if I was?” 

The king frowned. “There is nothing to gain by following them, they were heading for their death. That city was lost decades ago and it is still guarded by the beast. “ 

Ghuad tilted his head. “And you intend on keeping them here, to protect them? How noble of you” 

The king did look a bit angry but the voice was smooth as ever. “They will bring nothing but death and ruin if they are to continue on their mission. I assure you, they will be taken very well care of” 

Ghuad didn’t doubt the King’s words, he was honest. Ghuad did grin. “And what about me?” 

The king scoffed. “You are no minion of Morgoth, that is all I am sure off. But you do stink, and when did you last groom yourself?”

Ghuad made a vague gesture. “I am afraid I cannot remember.” 

The king made a gesture. “Take him to the baths, then to the grand cell, give him some food. I will see to him later” 

The guards did grasp Ghuad by the elbows and hauled him off, he had to chuckle, the king was curious about him and he loved playing games, this could be funny. He was brought along a myriad of corridors and stairs and at the end they entered a huge room with several pools. Some were heated and the room did smell of sulphur, there had to be hydrothermal vents down there which provided the hot water and Ghuad did in fact look forwards to a good bath. He hadn’t had one in ages. There was a guard placed by the door and the ropes were removed. “Get cleaned up, you look like some vagabond” 

The guard did sound a bit sour and Ghuad did walk over to a collection of benches and started to undress. He had a hard time getting the boots off and the socks were a complete loss for sure, there were huge holes in them. After that he got his tunic and undershirt off and then his breeches and the loincloth. He stretched and shook out his hair and he did feel that the guard was staring at him. Ghuad wasn’t shy at all, he was proud of his body and he wasn’t bothered by others admiring him. He did walk towards the pool and went inn slowly. The warm water was like a caress and he did sigh with relief and saw that some bowls were placed along the edge. His sense of smell told him it had to be soaps of different kind and he did rub himself with one which did smell of sandalwood and something musky. 

He sat down and used a sponge to scrub himself all over, it felt wonderful and he used a long time washing his hair. There were combs there too and he did go through it thoroughly and braided it tightly the way he preferred to. There were some clothes laid forth on the bench and he just hoped that they were large enough, otherwise he would look silly. He took his sweet time, the warmth and the scents were making him relax and he was reluctant to leave the pool but in the end he had to. He was out of the water when the door opened and the king entered, he walked over to Ghuad and the tactic was easy to see through. By confronting Ghuad as he was naked the king wanted to make him feel insecure and small. That didn’t work at all, Ghuad didn’t even know what shame was and he just stood there, as relaxed as before. The king on the other hand didn’t look all that relaxed, as a matter of fact there was something almost incredulous within those ice blue eyes. Ghuad almost purred. “Do you like what you see?” 

The king swallowed and looked away for a few short seconds and Ghuad snickered to himself. The king did like what he saw, in fact he did like it a bit too much judging by the sudden stiff posture. He turned around and nodded at the guard. “Take him to the cell when he is ready” 

Ghuad did dress himself, the clothes were good and warm and not overly pompous which he liked, they were in fact his size too and he grinned at the guard. “So, where is this cell?” 

The guard took him by the elbow again but he wasn’t restrained and then he was lead through the maze of corridors again until they reached a heavy door. The guard opened it and Ghuad was if not shocked then pleasantly surprised. The king had called it a cell but it was more of a luxurious suite and on a table there was a veritable feast. Ghuad felt his stomach rumble and he sighed and sat down in a chair, he wondered if every trespasser was treated thus, somehow he did doubt it. There was both wine and mead there and he did pour some wine into a goblet and gave it a sniff. It was okay, not tampered with in any manner and very good. He did drink the goblet dry and then he started to eat. He made sure to eat like a civilized person, just in case he was being watched. The bread was delicious and there was both meat and cheese and other things there, including fresh fruit. 

Ghuad ate but he was careful not to overeat and he finished with an apple and then he explored the room. It was so grand it was like a small apartment and there was a sort of bathroom connected to it and the bedroom was huge and cosy too. The bed was huge enough for five and Ghuad wondered who had stayed there last. He felt that it was late and he was sort of tired so he did decide to get some sleep. He did undress down to his new underpants and then he slid inn under the covers and yawned. He had a feeling that the king would visit him, but the Gods knew when and for what. Ghuad was used to taking his rest whenever he could and he never really worried about much so he fell asleep the moment he wanted to. Sometimes he did need to sleep, not often but his body needed to recharge itself. 

He did sleep for quite a while, he didn’t even dream and he didn’t move much. When he did wake up he felt that it was morning and he was hungry again so he got up from the bed and found some more food. He ate and made use of the bathroom and he wondered what he was gonna do next when the door opened and the king entered. The tall blond elf was wearing long robes and did look very majestic and haughty and Ghuad did bow his head a wee bit, just to show respect without being submissive. The king stared at him. “I take it that you have slept well?” 

Ghuad nodded. “Very well yes, and I thank you for the food, it is delicious” 

The king grinned but there was something odd in his gaze, a sort of impatience? “So, would you care to tell me more about your person?” 

Ghuad smirked. “There isn’t really that much to tell, why don’t you tell me more about that dragon you fear the dwarves will awaken?” 

The king stared at him, the gaze piercing but it did drift a lot, Ghuad was only wearing underpants and his hair was unbraided and like a soft cloud around him. He knew what the sight of him did to others. “Why are you asking?” 

The king’s voice was calm but there was a tremble there and Ghuad went over to the table and did pour some wine, he took a sip like it was an afterthought. “Because it intrigues me, a dragon, it is a terrible enemy is it not?” 

The king frowned. “Yes, Smaug the Golden did lay waste to the city of Dale before descending upon Erebor, and there was nothing anybody could do” 

Ghuad did smirk. “So it’s name is Smaug, what does it look like?” 

The king did look puzzled. “Like a dragon? Wings, two legs and a maw filled with teeth and flames, the size of many ships placed after each other” 

Ghuad did take a sip of the wine again. “Back where I am from that is called a wyern, dragons have four legs and wings” 

The king did step closer. “So you do know a thing or two about dragons after all” 

Ghuad shrugged and put the goblet down. “Maybe I do. Do the dwarves stand a chance?” 

 

The king shook his head. “No, the beast is too mighty, there is a legend that the former lord of Dale managed to knock one of its scales loose with a black arrow but those are not to be found anymore and no bow is powerful enough to shoot such an arrow these days. It is just a fairytale. “ 

Ghuad did sit down, he sighed. “But the dwarves are safe here, and the dragon will sleep on, right?” 

The elf nodded and walked closer again, the expression within his eyes were almost possessive. “Yes, there are lives at stake, both in Esgaroth and these woods, we don’t want that dragon unleashed again” 

Ghuad did grin, the king was obviously not there to discuss dragons. “So my lord, why are you here, visiting a prisoner?” 

The king waved a finger. “Guest, not prisoner” 

Ghuad raised an eyebrow. “I have a hard time imagining guests being locked inn like I was last night” 

The king did tilt his head. “Only until I know if I may trust you or not” 

Ghuad smiled, a very inviting smile with a bit of an edge to it. “So, what do you really want?” 

Suddenly he had the king standing very close but Ghuad didn’t back off, he held his ground. The elf was close enough to kiss him and Ghuad kept the grin on his face. “What are you? You are no elf and no human, I sense such power within you, such an untamed force!” 

Ghuad did lick his lips and the smile became seductive. “Why don’t you find out exactly what I am? I am sure you are capable of unravelling any mystery” 

The king growled and Ghuad felt hands grasp onto his hair, forced his chin up and the kiss which followed was rough and hard and demanding. Ghuad didn’t mind playing it rough, he did answer it with just as much gusto and before he even knew it he was pressed back into the chair and the elf was exploring his skin with demanding hands. Ghuad did laugh, a low chuckle. “You are eager my lord, so much penned up need? Why?” 

The elf was panting and struggling with his own robes. Ghuad just grasped the fabric and ripped it, buttons were raining over the floors. “I…I feel…I don’t need to worry about hurting you” 

Ghuad almost growled. “Damn right, I can take it, but the bed would be a better destination I think”

The elf nodded and let go and Ghuad got back onto his feet and walked towards the bed, he had anticipated this, the elf had most certainly enjoyed the sight of him in the baths and he had a feeling that this was an individual who didn’t indulge himself very often. The silvery blonde grasped him by the wrist. “You do not need to do this, I would never force myself onto someone, not even…a prisoner” 

Ghuad grinned. “You aren’t forcing me my lord, you wouldn’t be able to. But you are quite stunning and I have walked alone for quite a while, so why not? I do like to take whatever joy I can find whenever I find it” 

The elf was dark eyed and breathing hard and Ghuad did slide up onto the bed and winked at the blonde. “Just one question” 

The elf was wriggling out of the ruined robes. “Yes?” 

Ghuad found a comfortable position. “I like to know who I am bedding so what is your name?” 

The elf got rid of the last garments and was on top of Ghuad before he had time to think. “Thranduil” 

Ghuad just nodded and felt that the elf pulled off the last pieces of fabric Ghuad wore, there was little doubt about his intentions and Ghuad didn’t mind at all. Heated kisses became even more eager and the room felt very warm now, Ghuad knew this art rather well but so did Thranduil and before long both were panting and sweating. Ghuad had no problems being the bottom, he was used to it and didn’t want to push the gorgeous elf into something he wasn’t ready to do so he just allowed the king to take the lead. The elf had turned Ghuad over onto his stomach and was hovering above him, obviously very eager. “Do I…do I have your permission?” 

Ghuad could only nod and the elf didn’t hesitate, he had brought a small flask with oil and made use of it before plunging into place. Ghuad did gasp, it was a long time since he had done this but he didn’t mind at all, he just had to make himself relax. Before long the discomfort was replaced by keen pleasure and he did meet the eager thrusts with movements of his own. It didn’t take long before he had to arch and bite his lower lip not to scream as it rushed through him, controlling himself was hard but he could do it. The elf followed suit and let out a hoarse roar as he spilled and shuddered. It was very clear that he had needed this, a lot. They slid down onto the bed and laid there, heaving for air until they came down from the high and relaxed and Ghuad caressed the long locks of silky silvery hair. “You really needed that ha?” 

The king nodded but didn’t open his eyes. “Yes, I…I am a king, I cannot think about my own needs, my people does come first. Just..” 

Ghuad nodded. “Sometimes you have to give inn right, and better a stranger than one of our own subjects” 

The king sighed and nodded and Ghuad pulled the covers over them. “I can understand that. I am here now, let us make the most out of it but first, some rest or what?” 

Thranduil yawned and curled up against Ghuad’s body and Ghuad hid a grin. He wondered what the elf had felt if he had known the truth? He laid there dozing listening to the slow steady breath of his lover and he knew exactly what the elf felt. He had seen it before, people who put duty before their own personal wellbeing until something snapped and it was never a good thing. As he laid there staring at the ceiling he became aware of a slight tingle of magic which surrounded the elf. He stared at his partner, he was using some sort of magic on a permanent basic and he wondered why and what it was the elf was hiding. But it was of no real concern to him, he just wondered why he had been brought to this place, there had to be a real reason for it. 

The king did wake up again and they returned to the delightful activity, Ghuad was good at this and the king did appreciate it at a lot. When the evening came he had to leave and he was limping lightly and wore his collar extra tight for there were marks all over him. Ghuad was left alone again and had a bath and some more food. He was growing impatient, there had to be a reason for his presence within this realm. 

There was some sort of noise in the distance, elves running around calling out and he was curious but didn’t leave the room, he had gained some trust from the king and didn’t want to lose it for nothing. The racket did die down and he heard the large gates being closed, there were horns being blown too and Ghuad did feel a sting of worry. There was silence for quite a while and he didn’t hear anybody running by the door. The king did return to him late that evening and it was obvious that something was bothering him but he didn’t say what it was and Ghuad didn’t want to push it. Thranduil was obviously of those who did drown their worries with sheer animalistic lust and he didn’t speak at all as they once again descended upon the bed. Ghuad did enjoy it a lot but he felt that he ought to hold back at least a wee bit. He didn’t want to do any blunders which could reveal his true nature, he did somehow feel that he liked this elf and he didn’t want to startle him in any manner. 

Thranduil left his bed when the morning came and Ghuad was alone yet again, he was bored and wished that he could have ventured outside of these rooms and explored the palace. He laid down to sleep but was awakened rather suddenly by a strange feeling, there was something in there with him and he sat up and stared around him. There was a faint light there and he saw a robed figure which seemed to hover a bit. He swallowed hard, the magic was sparkling in the air and he knew that his was no ordinary being. “Who is there?” 

The figure let the hood drop, it was a very beautiful female with long black hair and her eyes were like stars, shining with an eerie light. “My name doesn’t matter Ghuad, I am here to explain to you why you are here”

He frowned. “Alright? Why?” 

The female did look down. “Something is happening Ghuad, something which will disturb the future. The black arrow will be lost and the archer will fail. The dragon will destroy them all and the mountain will be lost” 

Ghuad swallowed. “I don’t understand?” 

The female sighed. “You do not need to, but they are on the way to the mountain, and soon it will be too late. You have to get there in time to kill the dragon Ghuad, Smaug cannot survive, if he does everything is lost. Darkness is gathering, the mountain must not be lost to the forces of Sauron, the line of Durin must remain” 

Ghuad tilted his head. “I have to get there and kill that dragon, alright, then I guess you know who and what I am, is it wise?” 

She shook her head and her eyes were sad. “No, it is not wise, much will be different but there is no other way. You are the only creature capable of killing the golden one” 

Ghuad took a deep breath. “Then I will, and when the dragon is dead?” 

She lowered her head. “Fight to save as many as possible, but do not reveal your presence until you have to, it is very important. Armies are being summoned, born of hatred and darkness, unholy beings bred only for destruction. You are the greatest hope we have now”

Ghuad saw that she was fading away. “Wait, my lady, what are you?” 

She smiled, a swift grimace. “A vala, go, do my bidding, there is little time” 

She disappeared and Ghuad got to his feet. So that was why he had been taken from his real home, to slay a dragon. Well, why not really? He loved a challenge and he would of course help a good cause but how was he to get out of there? He could break down the door rather easily but he didn’t want to reveal his true nature until he absolutely had to. He felt that the day was nearing its end yet again and grimaced, there had to be a way to get out of there without arising suspicion.   
The king did come to him a few hours later, visibly distraught and nervous and Ghuad did take his hand. “What is bothering you? Do not try to lie to me, I can see that something is wrong” 

The king did sigh. “I am…Oh Eru, the dwarves have escaped and my son left to find my captain, he was given two days to return with her and one day has already gone by” 

Ghuad tilted his head. “You are worried for him aren’t you?” 

Thranduil sighed and sat down. “Yes, I fear that the dragon will awaken. I shouldn’t have allowed him to leave. We interrogated an orc and it did speak, hinting to old evil which has been awakened. ” 

Ghuad took a deep breath. “Let me out of here and I will find him, I will find them both. I can fight, in here I am of no use” 

Thranduil frowned. “And can I trust this?” 

Ghuad nodded. “I give you my word, and I do not easily give that believe me. I will find them and keep them safe.” 

Thranduil did look doubtful. “Even from that dragon?” 

Ghuad had to grin. “Even from the dragon, believe me, time is running short so let me go now or regret it forever after” 

Thranduil stared at him. “There is something you know…”

Ghuad nodded. “Yes, but I am not to tell you, it does involve the valar. Just trust me, I need to go and I need to go NOW” 

Thranduil closed his eyes. “Fine, do you need anything?” 

Ghuad shook his head. “No, just a fast horse”

Thranduil did get up. “Follow me, and I hope by the valar that you are one to keep your word” 

Ghuad laid a hand over his chest. “I am, believe me I am” 

They ran through the palace and Thranduil did lead the way, they entered a huge stable after a while and the king stopped by a box with a grey stallion. The animal did look fierce and Ghuad grinned. “What is his name?” 

Thranduil made a grimace. “Firestorm, he is our fastest horse but a handful” 

Ghuad thought that the name was perfect, he did pet the animal and sensed that the horse could perceive his true nature. “Good, I can handle him” 

Thranduil lifted a saddle of a rack but Ghuad shook his head. “I won’t need that” 

Thranduil did look a bit puzzled and Ghuad got onto the shiny back with no effort at all. “I will ride hard, just tell me what paths to take” 

The king did describe the fastest path to Esgaroth and Ghuad did memorize it before the king let him out of the stable. The forest was rather dark but it wasn’t night yet and Ghuad could sense that things were about to happen. Thranduil stared at him. “Remember, I will hold you to your word”

Ghuad did salute him as he let the stallion have his head. “I know, worry not”

The horse took off and ran like a wind and Ghuad could only hang onto the long mane and hope for the best. He just prayed that he wouldn’t be too late.


	3. A dragon's oath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghuad does what he was sent there to do, and the battle of the five armies get a whole new ending.

Chapter three: A dragons oath

Ghuad rode hard along the forest paths, he let the horse have it’s head and the animal was very fast indeed. He had a bad feeling inside, he couldn’t be too late, that would be a disaster. The city he was to go to was placed in the middle of a lake, that was all that he really knew and he shuddered when he thought about the damage a dragon could do to such a place. Everything was probably made from driftwood and would burn like hell. He had unleashed hell himself, several times but he wasn’t like that anymore. As he left the woods he did feel a distance presence once again but it was faint and he didn’t bother with it, if there truly was some ancient evil awakening there this could be it but it wasn’t strong enough to bother him at all. 

As Ghuad rode towards Esgaroth the city was in an uproar, the dragon had been awakened and everybody was trying to flee. There was chaos in the canals and screams could be heard as people tried to flee the doomed city. Legolas had left hunting the orc Bolg and now Tauriel was trying to save Bard’s children and the remaining dwarves. The skies were cloudy and dark and the sudden shadow of the dragon didn’t exactly diminish the panic. Flames came raining from above and several houses burst into fire. The huge golden dragon was on a killing spree, set on spreading death and destruction and he wouldn’t spare anyone.   
Bard did manage to get out of the jail and he did find a bow and good arrows and tried to shoot Smaug but the arrows wouldn’t penetrate the thick scales. His son Bain had hidden the last black arrow in a pram and he did try to find it but unfortunately the tiny boat had been hit by burning debris and had sunk and there was no way of finding anything in the muddy black waters even if one did dare to dive. He could do nothing to help his father and the tall redheaded she elf did force them all to row for their lives, he could just pray that his father would make it out of there alive. 

Ghuad left the woods along the beach in time to see the dragon swoop down for a new attack and he swore to himself, he couldn’t save the city but he could save as many people as possible. The dragon would return to the mountain whence it was done with its horrible task and that had to be prevented. In spite of it all Ghuad did feel a sort of anticipation, he hadn’t been fighting in his true shape for a long time and he was looking forward to it. He could feel the other dragon, it was a malicious wicked beast with a cunning mind and a twisted intelligence but it was nowhere near as strong as him. 

Ghuad sent the horse running off before he ran to a glade and allowed his natural magic to flow freely. There was a swift flash of light and he shook himself, checking that everything was in order. He was gigantic, a creature pitch black all over but shining like oil on water, his scales smooth and metallic and the body elegant and yet strong. The wings did extend and he tried them a couple of times, creating a storm where he stood. Then he did lick his lips and reared. Standing upright the body shape was almost humanoid save for the tail and the long neck and he bent down and kicked off. The ground did shake underneath him and he was airborne. He knew that the sight of him would cause even greater panic so he did fly high, very high. The clouds were a perfect cover and he prepared himself as he flew towards the inferno which had been a city. The smoke did hang thick over the area and he saw that the survivors were struggling to get away from the city, soon the dragon would descend upon them too and burn them all. There was little time to spare and he stilled in the air above the burning city and saw the silhouette of Smaug down underneath him. 

Ghuad had four legs and two wings, he was a true dragon and he was more than three times larger than the golden one. His body not as long and slender, and the tail shorter with powerful blades at the end. He had one shot at this, killing the dragon without being seen and he had to pick exactly the right moment. The wind was changing and that was what he had been waiting for. Ghuad opened his terrible maw, it was way more powerful than the elongated one of the golden dragon, more stocky and with more powerful teeth. He was a killing machine and feared nothing created by Gods and demons. 

Smaug was about to make the last turn before releasing his flames upon the fleeing humans when he felt a draft, something not natural. The wind shouldn’t shift that fast? He sensed danger and instinct told him to escape but it was too late. As he rolled over to dive down towards the flames a giant black shadow hovered over him, almost invisible against the skies and only a pair of glowing red eyes told Smaug that there indeed was something there with him, something horrible. Smaug tried to spew flames against this intruder and what the flames did reveal cost the golden one it’s life. The shock made Smaug hesitate, and then it was too late. Smaug did fully believe that this was Ancalagon, remade by their first master and he knew that he didn’t stand a chance against a monster such as that dragon. Ghuad wasn’t as large as Ancalagon, but he was way more agile and the giant jaw did close itself around Smaug’s neck as he brought his hindquarters down and ripped into the golden dragon’s belly with his powerful hind claws. Scorching hot dragonblood started to rain down as Ghuad ripped the head of his opponent and let the whole carcass just drop from the sky into the lake.   
The dragon landed in a huge splash and Ghuad was careful not to fly too low, he had to remain hidden. He sought the land again and shifted back in the forest, now he had to make sure that the two elves had made it. 

The survivors were starting to gather and make assessments of their situation, Bard had survived and made it to shore to be reunited with his family and Ghuad stayed hidden within the forest. The redhead was there, saying goodbye to the dwarves and then the golden haired one did appear too. They were obviously off and Ghuad did hear that they were heading north, towards some ancient kingdom where enemies could be lurking. He did grin, there would be little to fear there if he came first and he didn’t need a horse to be fast. He could run on his own feet too and he made sure to leave before the two elves. 

He started to like this, a lot. He was doing something useful and he knew that it was good. He could almost feel the stench of evil from a distance, there were loads of it somewhere within the mountains and his instincts did guide him there. It was a fortress, but not like any he had seen before, it was strange and alien and the sharp angles and oddly rusted metal did remind him of the keels of huge ships, long abandoned. There was activity in there, he could sense the warmth from living beings and smell forges and metal. They were creating an army in there and it was by no means meant to preserve the peace. Ghuad did sneak as close to the fortress as he could, there were thousands of orcs in there, monstrous beasts and with them both trolls and other monsters, including some very huge bats. 

These troops would become a threat later on, he just knew it so he grinned and transformed himself behind a cliff. This would be quite a job but he didn’t shy away from hard labour and he did attack the fortress like an anteater attacks an anthill. He tore into the walls with his powerful front limbs and ripped the metal apart, then he did force his snout inn through the gashes and spewed flames, way hotter and fiercer than Smaug’s ever were. His flames were dark, almost black in colour and orcs did stream out of the fortress, desperately trying to attack him. They had no idea of why this dragon attacked them since all dragons they knew off belonged to their master. Ghuad filled the entire complex with flames, fed them with his wings and created a terrible firestorm which engulfed the entire area. He didn’t stop until the fortress was no more, melted back into the ground and the tunnels and hideouts completely sealed off by melted rock. He let out a roar of triumph, one enemy less to worry about. Not a single orc had survived to tell of this and he did leave some impressive claw marks upon the bare rock, just to show that something really strong had done this. He did fly back towards the cities, the two elves were safe now, they would find a smouldering ruin and Ghuad knew that he would be needed elsewhere. 

He did shift back and walked the last part of the stretch, he remembered that he shouldn’t reveal himself just yet. He found the city of dale inhabited by survivors and he did see that the elvenking did arrive with his entourage and all of his warriors. Ghuad was a bit shocked that the elf hadn’t told him of these plans but after all, a king doesn’t have to share his thoughts with anybody unless he wants to. Ghuad felt that his help could be needed there so he did reveal himself to the elves and was promptly taken to the king who by now was placed within a very nice tent erected within the city. Ghuad was glad so many of the people from Esgaroth had made it but right now they were in dire straits. The dwarves hadn’t kept their word at all and he wasn’t surprised. There was dark magic in that mountain and it could corrupt even those who are pure of heart. 

Thranduil did look shocked to see him, perhaps he had expected Ghuad to run off. The king got up and cocked his head. “Where have you been?” 

Ghuad smiled, a very wry grin. “Keeping an eye on your son and that redhead of his, they are safe at the moment, worry not” 

The elf frowned. “Oh? Where are they?” 

Ghuad raised an eyebrow. “Heading north, towards a certain old fortress, but they won’t find it, it isn’t there anymore” 

Thranduil did look rather on edge. “What are you talking about? Fortress? Are you referring to Angmar? That is dangerous!”

Ghuad just shrugged “Not anymore!”

The king just stared at him and Ghuad became aware of the tall dark haired human who was entering the tent, looking a bit uncertain. “The dwarves refuse to give inn, Thorin won’t give away even a coin” 

Thranduil sighed. “He will see then what his stubbornness will bring. We attack at dawn” 

Ghuad tilted his head slightly. “The treasure is great then?” 

The elven king nodded. “Yes, it is…gigantic. A hoard gathered by Thorin’s forefathers over centuries” 

Ghuad made a grimace. “Odd really that a dragon should be drawn to gold in such a manner, it cannot be eaten, it is useless for weapons and you cannot even fuck it” 

The bowman did look shocked and Ghuad did smirk. “The golden one would have lain there until he rotted away I guess, not a very pleasant fate, even for a dragon such as him” 

Thranduil shrugged. “Dragons are like that, greedy creatures.”

Bard stared at Ghuad. “They say that one of my arrows must have pierced something vital on the dragon but we all know that is impossible. Something must have brought him down, I wonder what it may have been” 

Ghuad just smiled innocently. “Indigestion?” 

Thranduil did scoff and rolled his eyes. Bard took a deep breath. “The people do need the money we were promised, but I cannot really understand why you would go to war my lord, what is so precious that you will risk the lives of your warriors like this?” 

The elf didn’t answer at first, then he turned around and Ghuad could see sorrow on his face. “I gave the dwarves the task of making a necklace for my wife, and they didn’t manage to finish it before she was slain, I haven’t been able to retrieve it for they claim that I didn’t pay enough for the job” 

Ghuad had guessed something like that, nobody had mentioned a queen and the king did after all have a son. He knew that sorrow such as this can eat at a soul and elves are very vulnerable when it comes to true emotions. He understood why the king had been so hungry for affection, even if he had lost his wife he hadn’t lost his libido nor his need for physical contact with others. It was a very natural thing and yet one which probably tormented the poor elf a lot. Bard did look as if he did sympathize with the elf and Ghuad sensed that he too had suffered loss. 

They just stood there when a tall old man with a pointy hat did hurry towards the tent, Ghuad did recognize him as the wizard who had been helping the dwarves and he saw that the old man did stop and stare at him with both disbelief and shock. Ghuad knew that his true nature couldn’t be hidden from somebody like that so he just shook his head a wee bit and the wizard made a grimace and turned to the king and Bard. Apparently there was war coming and Thranduil didn’t want to listen to what the wizard was saying at all. He was so focused upon breaking the dwarves it was like speaking to deaf ears. Ghuad didn’t like it, the mountain did have secrets, he could sense it and he did also feel that things weren’t as straight forward as they all would wish them to be. There was a bit of quarrelling going on within the tent and Ghuad sat down in a chair and helped himself to a little wine, he was rather convinced that the next morning would see bloodshed and a lot of it. 

Then a small voice could be heard and Ghuad was shocked to see this short person standing in the door, he did look rather humble and yet determined and Ghuad did recognize him, it was the person who had followed the dwarves, so he had survived this far? That was astonishing. Gandalf did look happy and the king was a bit stunned. Apparently the hobbit had stolen the dungeon keys from the guards and Ghuad had seen that he had a magical ring, he had probably used it. Then came another shock, the hobbit had in fact stolen the Arkenstone and presented it to them, Ghuad was fascinated by the gem, it was very powerful and ancient and it held a sort of conscience although it was dark and rather sinister. Something had corrupted that thing and the influence had twisted it into a thing of evil. He wouldn’t want to touch it with a pair of ten foot pliers. 

But the little guy wasn’t stupid, to use it as a bargaining tool could be smart, if this Thorin wasn’t completely braindead he would budge, at least a little. The wizard sent Bilbo off to get some food and sleep and then they gathered in the tent again. Thranduil would send his troops out there anyhow, just to show some force and Bard did agree. He had obviously taken the role as leader for the humans now and Ghuad could sense that he was a truly strong and brave person well worthy of respect. The king sent Bard and Gandalf out of the tent and turned to Ghuad, he stared at the tall stranger with a rather piercing gaze. “The Arkenstone, what do you think about it?” 

Ghuad raised an eyebrow, surprised by the question. “It is a thing of beauty, but it is lethal” 

Thranduil nodded. “Yes, it has driven them all over the edge and into madness. I wonder what is worse, the dragon sickness or the one that stone creates” 

Ghuad tilted his head and stretched his long legs. “The dragon sickness creates a sense of greed, of always wanting more. The stone on the other hand? It makes you distrust even your best friend, it will turn everything which is good within a person into a dark mirror image.”

Thranduil filled a goblet with wine and made a gesture. “You are right, the Arkenstone is probably something which should have remained hidden forever. It has turned the dwarves into something they never were before.” 

Ghuad took a deep breath. “So, what were they like before if the stone has changed them thus?” 

Thranduil made a grimace as if he had tasted something bad. “Honourable, honest. Humble, happy to just go on with their work, to create things of beauty and trade. Since that stone was found they have been hoarding it all like a nest of squirrels.” 

Ghuad nodded. “As if to prepare for a dragons arrival” 

Thranduil did take a long sip from the goblet he held. “You are wise, how old are you?” 

Ghuad did almost cough. “Ah, well, I am not sure really, seven or eight thousand I think?” 

Thranduil did look a bit stunned. “You are older than I then, I should have known” 

Ghuad put down his goblet. “Why?” 

The elf shrugged. “Your soul, it is very…powerful” 

Ghuad did take a deep breath, “Yes, I am very powerful Thranduil, way stronger than you think but know that I am on the side of good, always. Nothing I ever do is done to cause problems for those who are of the light” 

Thranduil did stare at him. “I believe you, I don’t really know why but I do” 

Ghuad nodded. “Good” 

The elf did sit down, he did stare into the flames of one of the candles and made a grimace. “I worry about tomorrow my friend, I hope we can solve this without bloodshed but I fear it will be impossible. Thorin is most certainly infested with the same disease which ate at his grandfather” 

Ghuad nodded. “I see. But what of the things Gandalf did say?” 

Thranduil sighed. “Gandalf has a reputation for exaggeration and I do not doubt that there are orcs heading this way but a grand army? No, I doubt it” 

Ghuad made a grimace, he remembered that huge pale one and somehow felt that he wasn’t done with that creature yet. Thranduil smiled. “But let us not worry about tomorrow, I have food and wine and let us enjoy this life while we still have it” 

Ghuad did smirk. “Yes, why not?” 

He tilted his head and did beckon the elf to come closer. Thranduil did get up and walked over and ended up standing straight in front of Ghuad who remained sitting in his chair. He did wink at the tall blonde. “Tell the guards to close the doors” 

Thranduil nodded and the tent was closed off, the walls were thin but the elf nodded. “There is a spell on the tent, nobody can hear anything from the inside.” 

Ghuad purred. “How considerate.” 

He did let his hands slide up the ellon’s slender and yet powerful thighs, towards his crotch and the elf did take a deep breath and hissed slightly. Ghuad had a naughty expression within his eyes, he knew just how to take the kings mind off the coming fights and he did unlace the pants with his teeth, rather slowly and teasingly. When he was done the king was already hard and he did breathe at the throbbing member a few times, making the elf shudder and gasp. Ghuad did take his time, licking and teasing and showering the king with attention, he never moved his hands from their hold on the narrow hips and in the end the elf was keening and panting and almost begging him. Ghuad could control his gag reflex perfectly and had no problems taking the whole cock all the way down his throat and he knew how to add suction and use his tongue and inner cheeks too. He held his teeth out of the way, they were sharp and could do some serious harm if he wasn’t careful. 

The king did grasp onto locks of his dark hair and panted, eyes closed and face contorted by pleasure and he didn’t last long, he came suddenly and hard and shouted as he spent. Ghuad did lick him clean and smiled, the wicked expression on his face was still there. The elf had problems standing straight and Ghuad did get up and lifted him up and carried him over to the cot in the corner. “You needed that one, now, relax and sleep some. Tomorrow I fear we all need all of our strength” 

Thranduil just nodded, still dazed by the power of the climax and Ghuad got him out of the robes and pulled the covers over him before laying down in front of the cot, like a guarddog. He wouldn’t sleep this night, he didn’t need to yet and he kept his ears open. 

The next morning the entire army had moved into position and Thranduil did get into his armour again and prepared for battle. Ghuad didn’t own an armour and neither did he have a sword but was given one and the elves did find a leather armour large enough for him. The king did ride a huge elk, an animal Ghuad was impressed by and he was offered a horse but refused. He did fight better on his feet. Bard did show up as well and they headed towards the entrance to the mountain, Gandalf did join them too and the precision of the elven warriors was impressive. Ghuad was rather sure that the sight of this huge force would make anybody think twice unless that person was completely daft. 

But the dwarven king wasn’t impressed, he threatened to kill Bilbo and then he straight forward denied their request. Ghuad knew that the dwarf had some sort of trick up his sleeve and remembered what the vala had said. The bloodline had to be preserved and Ghuad did bite his teeth together, it seemed as if things could get ugly. He felt a slight movement in the ground, it was many feet and when the lord of the Ironhills did appear in front of his army of dwarves Ghuad knew that this would end with bloodshed no matter what. For a moment he did consider telling the truth and then shifting but the sight of him would probably send the dwarves into a state of catatonic shock. The dragons of this realm did after all have that unholy hunger for wealth. That Dain did insult them all in a very salty manner didn’t surprise Ghuad at all, even back home the dwarves were well known for coming up with exquisite insults. Ghuad was standing by Bard and the man was scared but seemingly calm, he was truly worthy of respect. 

Ghuad felt that everything he was protested, he didn’t want to allow these two armies to attack each other, lives would be lost on both sides but he did feel that the time wasn’t right yet. The attack came suddenly, with riders on goats and some odd weapons which in truth rendered the archers useless. It was impressive and Ghuad did stay with the humans to protect them since they were the weakest there. Then the ground did shake for real and the fighting stopped, huge monsters did show up out of the ground, releasing orcs everywhere and now things were suddenly very different. The king did roar orders and the elves and dwarves started fighting as one against this new enemy. 

The humans were heading back towards Dale so Ghuad stayed on the battlefield to help there. He was way stronger and faster than even an elf and he did swing his sword with brutal efficiency. He headed for the largest trolls and giants and let the battle rage take over, he could have fried the entire army in no time but it wasn’t time for that just yet. He did see that the army was being ordered from the tall towers on Ravenhill and he did recognize the huge pale orc. Ghuad saw that the elven king did rally his troops and sent them towards Dale to protect the people there and he knew that Thranduil could take care of himself. He kept fighting and before long he did notice that the orcs had become aware of him. The huge pale orc was sending his best warriors after him and his presence was obviously a source of confusion. The pale orc was a general and Ghuad had slaughtered way too many of his best warriors already. The city was under attack now and the dwarves were gathering to defend themselves, Thorin and his group did emerge for one last desperate counter attack and Ghuad realized what Thorin wanted to do. He wanted to kill the leader and make the army fall into chaos. 

But that was probably exactly what the pale orc wanted and Ghuad realized that he had to draw the attention of the orcs towards himself, that monster had to die. He did start to fight even faster than before, he had found a sabre somebody had dropped and now he fought with two blades and he was a master with them both. He knew where to attack and how and he did cut a bloody path across the battlefield. The orcs started to shy away from him and he saw that one huge orc was sent down to the battle field from the tower. It was a grotesque figure, tall and it was very inhuman for several places it was flesh merged with metal. Ghuad did bare his teeth, he could smell that orc. It was the same smell as of the pale one, this had to be the pale one’s offspring and a very vicious enemy. It had probably been sent off to prepare the armies of Gundabad for attack and had returned early, avoiding the two elves. Well, good for Ghuad but not so good for that orc, he should have stayed behind and burned, that would have been faster. 

He did notice that Legolas and Tauriel had reached the city and they were fighting side by side with the king, Ghuad just hoped that nothing bad happened to them. The huge orc came rushing towards him astride a huge warg and Ghuad sneered, he did grasp a long bladed spear and as the warg and the orc came storming towards him he did swing the blade so fast and hard he cut the body of the warg in half and cut deep into the orcs’s left thigh. The orc let out an unholy shriek and tried to strike at him with a very vicious looking spiked club but Ghuad just stopped it in its track with one hand and crushed it. The orc blinked, it did look very silly for a few second. It was impossible! Ghuad roared, it was a sound no human throat could produce and the tall pale orc stared down from the towers, in utter disbelief. Ghuad grasped the disfigured orc by the jaw and ripped it off him, blood was spurting everywhere and the orc was desperately grasping for its throat, trying to stop the bleeding. Ghuad raised his voice. “Oi, Azog the so called defiler, watch this!”

He did grasp into the wound again, his fingers attaching themselves around the vertebrae of the orc and then he just ripped the entire head off. Azog screamed, a horrible wail of sorrow and disbelief and Ghuad saw that the dwarves did stop and stared in disbelief. Ghuad did open his arms as if in a welcome, a clear challenge and Azog did hesitate before he did disappear into the tower. Ghuad did shake his head, if that one truly was that much of a coward then be it. The dwarves did get closer, slowly and with obvious nervousness. The leader who had to be Thorin did blink and stare at Ghuad. “You are a stranger, and yet you are helping us all, who are you?” 

Ghuad took a deep breath. “The valar has sent me, know this. I am no enemy of yours, only of darkness” 

Thorin did stare at the carcass which had been Bolg, he spat at it. “I am going for Azog, he did kill my grandfather.” 

Ghuad sighed “I wouldn’t recommend it, he is waiting for you for sure. Let me just tell you one thing, if you go up there your bloodline may end today” 

Thorin gasped and the two younger lads stared at each other. Thorin swallowed hard. “But still my honour demand that I seek revenge” 

Ghuad nodded. “I will not deny you that, but leave the boys here” 

Thorin turned to the two and they didn’t look as if they liked the idea at all. “You have to stay here, fight but stay alive” 

The two were teary eyed but nodded and Ghuad grinned. “I have a plan, if you go up there towards the towers I will enter from the back” 

Thorin frowned. “How is that possible?” 

Ghuad pointed at the frozen waterfall. “Easy, I will climb up there” 

Thorin stared at him. “By Mahal, what are you?!” 

Ghuad just smiled. “Rid the world of Azog, then I will show everybody what I am” 

Thorin grasped onto a riding goat and took off and the nephews did join ranks with Dain and fought side by side with him. Ghuad was rather sure that they would be safe, they were skilled and brave. He ran towards the waterfall and used his magic to make the climb much easier and faster. It was very cold and damp up there and Ghuad did hurry towards the tower, Thorin could already be there and if he understood the personality of the dwarf right he wouldn’t hesitate. He didn’t see anybody there, the place appeared to be deserted but it was a lie and he ran around trying to locate the dwarf when he heard shouts and screams up ahead. 

It was Thorin, fighting some goblins and Ghuad could smell that Azog was nearby. Probably waiting for the dwarf to be too tired to fight well. Ghuad did growl and he did ran forth and hit the goblins like an avalanche. He moved so fast he left a bloody mist behind him and Thorin was staring with huge eyes. Ghuad grinned. “The pale orc is behind those boulders over there, do you want me to flush him out?” 

Thorin grasped his sword harder and nodded and Ghuad did run into the maze of rocks and cliffs without a sound. He did circle and came back towards the cliff. The pale orc was a terrifying sight but Ghuad had seen way worse many times and he let his claws fall out. He could do that even in elven shape and he let them scrape against the rock, a very unsettling sound. The orc did spin around and his eyes got huge as he recognized the creature who had killed his son. “You!”

Ghuad grinned, baring his long sharp teeth. “Yes, me!”

Azog let out a roar and attacked, the blade he had used to replace his underarm was vicious but hit only air. Ghuad did punch the orc, hard! He did hit Azog so hard he harmed him but not hard enough to kill, he felt that Thorin ought to get the killing blow on this one. He rejoiced in the sound of ribs breaking and he did rip into the flesh, making long deep gashes which did bleed. The orc turned and tried to flee and was met by a devilish swing from a dwarven sword. 

It cut his right leg clean off and Azog fell with a bawl of rage and pain. Thorin didn’t hesitate, he did the same to the other leg and Azog tried to crawl away. Ghuad did step forth, steam was rising around him now for his true nature was close to being unleashed. He put a foot on the struggling orc and grinned. “You can tell your friends in hell that Ghuad Blackfire helped sending you there”

He nodded at Thorin who didn’t hesitate. “For my grandfather, and my father!”

He did bring the blade down and it was very sharp, cut the head off the orc in one strike. He held it up with a roar of triumph and Ghuad saw that the battle still was going on down there. He nodded at Thorin. “I have to go, this has to end now. Tell the dwarves to seek shelter in the mountain” 

Thorin did frown but ran to the edge of the waterfall and shouted down at the battlefield. All the dwarves did retreat towards the mountain, drawing the orcs after them and that was when Ghuad nodded at Thorin with a devilish grin and threw himself off the edge. He did fall fast and halfways down he did shift. It was a flash of light and he let out a roar as he soared out over the plain. There was a collective cry of fear from the orcs and Ghuad opened his maw and torched orcs and trolls and monsters alike. He flew so low he did tilt them over with his wings and then he landed and started to use his tail and head as a weapon. The city was still under full attack and Ghuad did attack the attackers from behind now. Suddenly there was cries heard from the air and huge eagles did descend upon the orcs who were trying to flee. Ghuad saw that the shape shifter had joined them and fell onto the battlefield, sending orcs flying everywhere. Ghuad did shift again, he grasped a couple of swords and ran towards the city. He wouldn’t do much good as a dragon in there, there wasn’t room. 

He rushed into the streets like a one man army and unleashed his darker side to the fullest. Orcs came running and he cut them down or let them burst into flames, trolls were trying to hit him with their heavy hammers and he just jumped at them and ripped them apart. Now the battle had turned completely, the enemy tried to flee instead of fighting but Ghuad wouldn’t let any of the beasts escape. He did fight with all his fury and in the end the few remaining orcs were caught between him and the combined forced of the elves and villagers. He was glad to see that Thranduil and Bard had made it, Gandalf and Bilbo was there too and so were Legolas and Tauriel. All were covered with blood and did look terrible and pretty worn down but they were unharmed. Ghuad did crush some orc skulls and then it was over. The eagles were picking off the last of the orcs outside of the city and the dwarves were already gathering the wounded out on the battle field. 

Thranduil did stare at him, there was disbelief and awe and a bit of fear in his eyes and Ghuad could only smirk. Gandalf walked over and his eyes were huge. “You…you are a shapeshifting dragon?” 

Ghuad bowed deeply. “Correct!”

Thranduil swallowed. “Why didn’t you tell us?” 

Ghuad sighed. “Because I was ordered not to, I was to save the line of Durin and I did. And the mountain is safe now, no enemy will be able to use it” 

Bard was also staring. “The way you were fighting….you saved us” 

Ghuad did writhe a bit. “Well, you fought well too, but that pale beast had to be gone”

Gandalf nodded. “Yes, and you did well there. Now the mountain will have a king again and the kingdom of Erebor will be strong yet again. “

Ghuad nodded. “Yes, and defend this part of your realm” 

Bard did stare out over the mass of people, many had fallen but there were many survivors too. “We can rebuild the city now, and start our lives anew. If Thorin allows for the treasure to be shared” 

Ghuad bared his teeth. “Oh he’d better, or else he will find another dragon resting on it, and this one won’t let itself be lured off.” 

Thranduil made a grimace. “I don’t think that gold ought to be used at all, the sickness rests upon it” 

Ghuad did shake his head. “Don’t worry about that, all it will take is to melt it down and make new coins from it. That will remove the filth!” 

Gandalf did squint at Ghuad. “You are from elsewhere, some other world, the valar brought you?” 

Ghuad did nod and sat down on a piece of rubble, he still felt the surge of energy battle did bring and he would need some time to calm down again. “Yes, apparently there was a missing arrow” 

Bard did smirk. “Yes, the black arrow was lost and Smaug would have incinerated us all” 

Ghuad nodded. “Yes, and returned to the mountain, where he would have killed off the dwarves and then became a servant of evil” 

Gandalf made a grimace. “I know, that was what I feared. But Sauron is banished, the lady of light did manage to drive him away from Dol Guldur” 

Ghuad tilted his head again. “Dol Guldur?” 

Thranduil sighed. “Yes. An ancient fortress within my woods, to the south. It was once an elven palace, the first palace of my father but it was moved first to the east and then north as the times changed. Darkness has taken that place, now it is…” 

Gandalf finished. “An abomination. It ought to be razed to the ground” 

Ghuad did bare his teeth. “Oh but that can be fixed, easily enough” 

He saw that Legolas and Tauriel were standing there chatting and he grinned, mischief in his eyes. “I think this city will thrive from now on” 

They were interrupted by one of the dwarves, it was the huge one with a bald head and impressive muscles and he did bow his head and did look at Ghuad with equal amounts of respect and worry. “My lords, the king would like to speak with you all, when you have the time for it. There is much to discuss” 

Thranduil nodded. “Yes there is” 

Dwalin did hesitate, then he pulled a bag out from under his jerkin and held it up. “Here, as a sign of good will” 

Thranduil did take it and opened it and his eyes got huge. A bright light did spread from the bag and Ghuad did grin. “The necklace?” 

Thranduil just nodded and blinked, obviously moved by the gesture. 

The wounded came first, there were healers running everywhere and after some hours some order was restored, kitchens were set up and everybody was being fed, tents erected and blankets and other necessities gathered and Thranduil did bring Bard and Ghuad with him to the mountain for the first official meeting. Ghuad was impressed, there was massive damage to the dwarven city but it would all be fixed in time, the dwarves were patient and excellent masons and he didn’t doubt that the city would look splendid in no time. The dwarves were waiting within the throne room and Thorin did look like somebody who has escaped just on deaths doorstep, he held his nephews close and there was a brightness in the eyes which hadn’t been there before. 

He did bow his head and the elf did bow back, hopefully this would restore the relationship between the races. Ghuad wasn’t surprised when Thorin seemed to be eager to get rid of the treasure, he would have given it all away if that had been possible but it would have dropped the value of gold to a level where tin would have been more valuable. Instead Ghuad offered to melt it, a little at a time and distribute it gradually to the city, before long the trade would become as it had been and Ghuad did offer to stay and help with the rebuild. He was after all very strong even in elven shape and he was rather sure that he could help the dwarves find more valuable ore down in the bowels of the mountain. 

Gandalf had to leave but Bilbo did stay, he wanted to see the mountain restored to its former glory and he did his part of the work, by designing gardens which would provide the dwarves with fresh fruit and vegetables. He was very eager and got many helping hands and it became rather clear that the dwarves did regard him with a sort of respect which was heart warming to behold. He had promised to stay until the gardens were finished, then the wizard would come for him to bring him back home. Ghuad could still feel that odd presence around him and guessed that it was that ring but he didn’t mention it, somehow he knew that it wasn’t his business at all. More and more dwarves did return each day and Ghuad was rather busy. Gold was being brought to the huge furnaces where he melted it down and when he was done for the day he did help the dwarves with the repairs. 

They knew what he was now but didn’t fear him, he had no interest in gold nor wealth and some days he did leave the mountain to hunt and bring them meat for the grand feasts. Dwarves loved to feast and the elvenking and Bard were often invited and did in fact show up. Ghuad discovered that the elf was a party goer with a wicked sense of humour and he was able to cope with the roughness of the dwarves in every way. Bard too had discovered heirlooms within the mountain and gifted a very grand necklace made from emeralds to the elf, which he did accept with joy. 

Ghuad did burrow deep into the rock, he had a nose way better than that of even a bloodhound and found some veins of ore which were rich and would keep the dwarves busy for decades to come, he felt that he had made himself very useful indeed. The city of dale was being rebuilt with Bard as the new leader and also Esgaroth was rebuilt but not at the same place as before. They knew that the old foundations were too weakened to carry new buildings so huge trees were hauled forth and formed new foundations and the city which was erected was both beautiful and grand. The body of the former master was found during this work, caught on some underwater rocks and it was bloated and grotesque and weighed down by sacks of gold stacked into the pockets. The man hadn’t stood a chance when his boat did capsize, he could just as well have tried to swim wearing lead boots. The corpse was burned without much ceremony, nobody really cared. 

Ghuad sort of enjoyed the company of Thranduil and the others but he knew that it would be time to go soon, his work there was over but one morning he did shift and flew towards the south of the great forest. The old fortress was like an open sore, a hideous thing which did reek of dark magic and even if its former lord had fled remnants of his power lingered still. It would be a nuisance for centuries to come if nothing was done about it so Ghuad did his best to erase it from the face of the earth. When he was done nothing was left, just a naked rocky hill which did look very natural and every trace of magic had been scorched off. He felt tempted at taking a look at the land in where the dark lord supposedly had his main lair but felt that this wasn’t his task. He had done what he could do and he felt rather pleased with himself as he returned to Dale. As a gesture he did bring up the head of Smaug from the bottom of the lake and burned it clean, the skull was polished and hung above the great doors as a reminder that not even dragons could conquer this city and he did promise the dwarves that he would do his outmost to return one day, to see how things were going. 

The last night before he was to leave he spent with Thranduil, the elf was very passionate and tried to make the most out of the night and so did Ghuad. He would have liked to stay longer but knew that he couldn’t. If he did he would disturb the history of this realm in ways not even the valar could foresee and he was genuinely sad when he did kiss the elf goodbye that morning. But he was sure that Thranduil wouldn’t stay alone for long, he and the bowman had become very good friends over the weeks and Ghuad had tried to encourage the friendship as much as he could. And he was also rather sure that the elvenking’s son had some plans which did include a certain elleth with red hair. He had taken off to do some exploration but Ghuad was rather sure that it wouldn’t last long before he was back and then the king would have a wedding to arrange. 

Ghuad was hugged and thanked and hugged again and he had a hard time getting out of the city since so many wanted to shake his hands. He hoped that he would be allowed back, just to see how everybody did fare and he walked towards the hill above Dale. He felt that this was where he was supposed to be waiting. He had gotten some very nice gifts, including the sword Thorin had found in the troll’s cave and it was magnificent. Ghuad did love it already. He had also gotten some mithril jewellery and some very nice daggers and he was more than pleased with the outcome of this mission. She was there all of a sudden and smiled. “I thank you, you did a wonderful job” 

Ghuad bowed his head. “It was my pleasure” 

She raised her arms. “I am sending you back to your own world now, here you are too powerful and your presence may cause trouble later on. I hope you understand this?” 

Ghuad nodded. “Yes, but may I ask a favour?” 

She smiled, a very gentle smile. “Yes, I know your question and the answer is yes, you may return, but only with many years apart and you cannot ever shift while being here again” 

Ghuad tilted his head. “I can live with that” 

She started to glow. “Call out my name, Varda, and I will come for you, it is as easy as that. And again, a big thank you” 

Ghuad closed his eyes and smiled, he would never forget the people he had met there, and the things he had done. But as he did open his eyes again in his own world he already knew that new adventures were waiting for him. One day he would return to Erebor, and to the great woods and perhaps he even would be able to explore that vast world. Yes, that was a promise and an oath he made to himself and a dragon’s oath is never broken. Varda had dropped him in the hills above his home city and he did hum as he wandered down familiar paths. He would return but right now it was good to be home and he was looking forward to meeting his friends, tell of his adventure and wait for the next mission to arrive. After all, he was there to fight darkness and thus he would never be unemployed, and he preferred it that way.


End file.
